Website in Oakland to shame pimps, johns

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A mugshot of an 81-year-old man accused of soliciting lewd acts in public.

Oakland police said Monday that they have launched a new website that will display mug shots of “pimps and purchasers” — suspects arrested and charged with soliciting prostitutes or benefiting from the illegal activity.

The arrestees’ names, dates of birth, cities of residence and dates of arrest will be posted along with their booking photos. The information will be updated twice a month, police said.

Under the “purchasers” part of the website is this statement: “The individuals shown below have been arrested and charged for solicitation of prostitution and/or related charges. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

The effort is the latest in Alameda County and throughout the Bay Area by law enforcement officials who have made combating human trafficking a top priority.

Last month, the DA’s office charged 19 people in a crackdown on massage parlors investigators said were fronts for prostitution. And at the Oakland International Airport in April, workers were trained on how to spot and rescue victims of child sex trafficking.

“We are dedicated to identifying and rescuing victims of trafficking and locating and arresting perpetrators of this crime,” police said. “We work closely with the Alameda County district attorney’s office to hold the perpetrators of these serious crimes accountable and with victim advocacy groups to provide support to the victims.”